The Port Authority (PA) has initiated a hate crime investigation, after a noose was found hanging from the 64th floor of the under-construction One World Trade Center (1 WTC) in New York. The 1 WTC is the name given to the skyscraper being built on the site of the former World Trade Center (WTC), which was destroyed in the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

A hangman's noose is commonly considered a racist symbol, as it was widely associated with crimes against the African-American community and particularly connected with the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), a group of extremist far-right activists.

The noose, according to a NY Daily news report, was found by a construction foreman. The authorities have been quick to condemn the incident and have promised a priority investigation.

We believe aggressive enforcement action sends a clear message that this behavior will not be tolerated, said Steve Coleman, a spokesperson for the PA, to NY Daily.

There has been no official confirmation, so far, of whether the noose was a hate remark or the result of tension between workers. The incident has created quite the uproar online, with several Twitter users expressing shock over the incident.

Twitter New York Pennsylvania Twitter